Card-index system



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wwzfar E. W. DAVIS CARD INDEX SYSTEM Filed March 11,1921 May 26 1925:

May 26, 1925. 1,539,411

. E. w. DAVIS I CARD INDEX SYSTEM,

Filed March 11, 1921 2Sheecs-Shaet 2 Patented May 26, 1925.

\ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER W. DAVIS, CHIGAGd, ILLINOIS, A SSIGNOR T0 SHAW-WALKER COMPANY, OF

MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

CARD-INDEX sYs'rnM.

Application filed lllarch ll, 1921. Serial No. 451,544.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ELMER 1V. DAVIS, a citizen of the United'States, anda resident of Chicago, in the county of, Cook and Stateof Illinois, have"invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card-Index Systems, ofwhich the following is a specification. 1

i This invention relates to improvements in card index systems, and moreparticularly to systems in whichseries of alphabetically arranged cardsare mounted within a drawer or other filing compartment, these cardsbeing capable of being withdrawn from the container for the purpose ofexamination, or the entering of information thereon.

The present invention pertains to a construction for avertically-expansible card holding unit consisting of aseries ofinterconnected or interlocked card-holding sections, each unitcontaining a desired number of card-holding sections, preferablyconfined to a single alphabetical or other division or unit of thefiling system, such as would be designated by a tabbearing thealphabetic designation or character. In general, the units is tofacllitate the location and access to any desired card of a unit by thewithdrawal in a vertical direction of the tabbed index card, the severalcard-holding sections being advanced upwardly and in stepped'relation sothat; the upper margins of the individual cards. are exposedsimultaneously, and the title or subject matter indication appearingthereon readily visible to the operator.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improvedconstruction for card 1nd8X\ systems of the general type hereinbeforementioned, these improvements involving certain departures in theconstruction'and arrangement of the card-holding units, and in'the'means employed for securing or anchoring the several units in the draweror container of the filing cabinet.-

The novel features are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich-' Figure-1 is a view in front elevation of a single drawer of thefiling cabinet, show-, ing one of the card-holding units in with drawnposition, and the cards displayed for ready access.

Figure 2 is a, cross-sectional view of the purpose of the card-holdingforward portion of a drawer as taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed view in end elevation of severalcard-holding sections connected together, and cards mounted thereon, a

Figure 4 is a similar detailed view in vertical section of twocard-holding sections arranged in vertical offset relation, and showingtheir relative positions, as well as that of the cards, when the sameare in extended position,

Fi re 5 is a View in front elevationof a card-holding unit mountedwithin a drawer and showing the appearance there of when in contractedposition, and disclosing clearly the manner in which the unit isanchored to the drawer.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a single card-holding section showingits construction,

Figure 7 is a pers ective view of a unit in vertically extende position,and slightlyv expanded transversely to show the'arrangement of thesections and the appearance of theunit from the rear, and

Fi ure 8 is a perspective view of a socall? anchored card as detachedfrom a 11111 aAshereinbefore indicated, a card index system embodyingthe features of the invention is preferably disclosed in connection withthe ordinary type, of filing systems comprising a single drawer orseveral drawers 1, slidably mounted in a cabinet. Withn these drawersare mounted the cardholding units and index cards, the same be- ,ingpreferably arranged alphabetically from front to rear of the drawer. Asordinarily constructed, the drawer. is provided with a longitudinal slot2 extending centrally of the bottom wall from front to rear, and withinthis slot is mounted a rod 3. Slidably mounted on the rod. is a followercomrisin alphabetical designation. Thus, as clearly a vertical plate 4,forming an adustab e rear support forthe unit and main- -tal lower ed es12-12 shown in Figure 1, these cards would in turn be arrangedalphabetically, beginning at the rearmost card; namely, that adjacent tothe tabbed card 5 bearing the letter A on the tab 6 thereof. It is to beunderstood, however, that the number of cards which may be filed in theunit maybe increased. at will by ex anding the samein a manner whichwill e clearly understood as the construction of the unit is disclosed.

As has already been suggested, the unit is made up of a plurality ofcard-holding sections, and it is proposedfirst to describe in detail theconstruction of each section. Figure 6 clearly shows the manner in whichone of the sections 7 ismade. A blank is first cut from a sheet of paperin the shape and size of a rectangular body portion 8 conformingsubstantially in size tothat of the cards, At the lower edge of the bodyportion is formed an upturned tongue 9, which is folded forwardly andupwardly along the fold line 10, constituting the lower edgeof thesection. The length of-the tongue is less than the width of the bodyportion 8 Along the side edges of the body portion are formed flaps1111, which extend substantially thruout the full width of the bodyportion, but terminate in spaced relation from the fold line 10 alonghorizonparallel with said fold line. T e fia s are folded inwardly and aainst the sur ace of the body portion 8, the1r vertical and paralleledges 1313 being spaceda'part centrally of the section. Along the upperedge of t e body portion is formed a com aratively narrow flap 14adapted to be fold constitutin the upper edge of the body portion, andgagement with the up er marginal portions of the flaps 11--11, said flap14 being sealed by the a plication 'of adhesive. Thus a pocket is ormedat the rear'of the body portion Sfacing or openin in a downwarddirection. As a prefera 1y formation, the free corners of the flaps11-1'1 are removed by the provision of diagonal cuts 1616.

The several card-holding sections 7 'are connected to ether. orinterlocked in the manner clear y shown in Figures 4 and 7; namely, byinsertin the upturned tongue 9 of each card into the pocket formed atthe back of the receding card, as hereinbefore described. s clearlyshown, a card 17 is inserted downwardly between the up-turned tongue 9and the body portion 8 of each section, these two arts of each sectionforming in efit'e'ctj a older which is open at its sides, and restrainsthe cards from downward movement only.

In order to permit a vertical relative movement of displacement betweentwo adjacent card-holding sections, it is necessary to provide for alimited free sliding moveed along the fold line- 15,

ownwardly in overlapping enment of the upturned ton ue 9"of one sectionwithin a pocket of t e preceding section. Provision is made for thismovement by spacing the lower longitudinal edges 1212 a predetermineddistanceabove the fold line 8, as hereinbefore pointed out in connectionwith Figure 6. This distance is preferably an amount equal to the titlemargin of the index cards 17; that is to say, a portion of the uppermargin of each card of sufiicient width to receive the titl or subjectmatter of the card. Thus, if t e rearmost card-holding section .in'Figure 4 is.

lifted u wardly, this upward m vement will be limited by the engagementetween the lower edges 1212 of the pocket-form- .ing flaps 1111 with thebase of the tongue 9, asindicated by the fold line 10. It fol-.

.lation in a vertical direction from front to ing sections, an d alongits upper edge with a a p or tongue-.20, which is folded over the upperedge of the index card 5 and pasted downagainst the rear surfacethereof. There is preferably a portion of the flap 20 cut away in orderto accommodate the tab 6. In this manner, the index card 5 is made anintegral art of each unit or alphabetical division of the filing system.

It is desirable, in order to prevent the unit being completely withdrawnfrom the drawer 1, when the unit is expanded vertically for the purposeof referring to a card' thereof, that the foremost section be anchoredto the drawer, and to thereby prevent the complete removal of the unitin the act of operating the unit. This is accomplished by the use ofwhat may be termed an anchor card 21, Figures 5 and 8. An anchor card ispreferably made of a rectangular sheet of paper, altho stiff cardboardis perhaps to be preferred. Along the upper edge of the anchor card .21is secured aflap 22, which may be formed either bya stri of paper pastedalongthe top edge of t e card, as shown in Figures 2nd 5, or b foldingthe top mar inal portion over, as s iown in Figure 8. long the loweredge of the anchor card and at a;,hook 23 which projects downwardlybeyond the lower edge of the card. As before suggested, the anchor cardis connected with the foremost card-holding sectionfLthis beingaccomplished by means of the flap '22 which is adapted to engage theupper edge of the tongue 9 of said foremost card-holding section 7. Theanchor card in turn is connected to the. rod 3 of the drawer 1 by meansof the hook 23 at the lower edge of the anchor card, this being clearlyshown in Figure 5. It is also to be observed that the anchor card issomewhat less in length than the card-holding sections 7, as well asless than the width of the drawer 1. This reduction in size of the cardis resorted to in order to facilitate the engagement ofthe book 23 andthe rod 3, as will be understood from the following.

Assuming that it is desired to anchor the.

card 21, 1t would be inserted into the drawer so that the hook is offsetto the right of the rod, and thus freely enter the slot-2 in the bottomwall. Then vby sliding the card to the left, the hook 23 engages the rodand holds the card in a central position.

The anchor card may be connected with' the adjacent or foremost cardholding sectionin either of two ways; first,'by the interlocking of theflap 22 with the tongue 9 of said section as it is withdrawn verticallywith the remaining sections, in the manner shown in Figure2; or, second,by engaging flap 22 over the top edge of the foremost section withoutusing the tongue 9 at all. The method used is'a matter of choice; thedifference being that in the first instance the entire unit can bedisplaced vertically the distance to which the first section can be Vraised before the tongue 9 engages the flap 22, whereas, inthesecond-method the first section is held stationary in its normalposition and only the remaining sections are displaced, said first.section in this instance being an extra ordummy section between theanchor card and the active card holding sections. a Having described apreferred construction embodying the invention, I claim as new andnovel: 2

'1. A card index system comprising a container, a file unit consistingof a lurality of card-holdin sections adapted to be mounted in vsaicontainer, said sections being provided with interlocking arts adapt edto permit a limited vertica isplacement of each section relative toanadjacent section,and means at one end of the unit for a int midwaybetween its side' edges is fixed limiting the extent of verticaldisplacement of the adjacent end section relative to its normal positionin said container, whereby the vertical withdrawal of a section at theopposite end arranges said sections in uniform staggered relation fromend to end.

2. A card index unit comprising a, lu-' rality ofcard-holding sectionsadapte to be arranged in predetermined order in a suitable container,each section being provided with a locking member adapted to engage acoacting locking member of an ad-' 3. A card index system comprising acontainer, a series of individual" card-holding members adapted to benormally retained in said container in registering relation from frontto rear thereof, said card-holding members being interconnected wherebyeach member may be displaced vertically a predetermined distancerelative to the preceding member, by the vertical withdrawal of one ofsaid card-holding members.

4. In a filing system, the combination of a plurality of card-holdingsections havin interlocking connection with each other, and adapted tobe arrangedin stepped relation by the vertical withdrawal of one" ofsaid card-holding sections, and means for anchoring one of thecard-holding sections in said container.

5. A Gard index system com rising a container, a plurality of card-hoding sections having interlocking connection with each other, wherebythe vertical withdrawal of one card will arrange the preceding cards instepped relation, and means for anchoring the foremost card-holdingsection in said container.

6. In a card index system, the combination of a container, acard-holdinunit adapted to be mo nted in said contalner, and comprising a eriesof-interconnected card-hold- ,ing sections adapted to be disposed invertically stepped relation from front to rear,

by the withdrawalof the rearmost section from the container, and meansfor detachably securing the foremost section in its normal ositionwithin the container.

"1' card index system comprising a container, a card-holding unitmounted in said container, and comprising a series of individualcard-holding sections having interlocking connection with each other,permitting a predetermined vertical displacement of each sectionrelative to the preceding section, a tabbed section forming the rearmostmember of the unit, and connected with the adjacent card holdingsection, and a section detachably connected with the foremostcardholdingsection, and provided with a memher adapted to be detach-ably connectedto the container.

8. A card index system comprising a container and a card-holding unitmounted in said container, and comprising a series of individual cardholding sections having interlocking connection with each other,permitting a predetermined "ertioal' displacement of each sectionrelative to the preceding at itslower edge adapted to be detaehablyconnected with the container.

10. A card index system comprising a plurality of card-holding sections,each consisting of a blank folded longitudinally to forman upturnedtongue along its lower edge, and overlapping flaps along upper and sideedges of said body portion, forming a rearwardly and downwardly facingpocket adapted to receive the tongue of the preceding section, saidsection being adapted to receive a card between said tongue and bodyportion.

11. In a filing. system, the combination of a oontainer, a'filing unit.mounted in said container and comprising a series of card- .lioldingsections, each consisting of a sheet of paper having an upturned tonguealong its lower edge, and flaps along its top-and side edges folded toform a downwardly facing pocket adapted to receive the upturned tongueof the succeeding card-holding section, the lower edges of saidpocketforming flaps terminating short of the lower edge 0 each section apredetermined distance, thereby effecting a vertically steppedarrangement of said sections when one is withdrawn vertically.

12. A cardindex system comprising a series of card-holding sections,each con sisting of a folded sheet ofv material having a tongue alongits lower edge, and marginal flaps along its side edges folded to form adownwardly. facing ,pocket adapted to receive the' upturned tongue of anadjacent card-holding section, the lower edges of said pocketformingflaps terminating short of the lower edge of each section a distancepermitting the vertical stepped arrangement of said sections when therearmost section is displaced vertically.

13..A card index system comprising a plurality of card-holding members,each consisting of a sheet having an upturned tongue along its loweredge, and side, marginal flaps along its side edges, and terminatingshort of said lower edge, each tongue being.

inserted beneath the flaps of the member adjacent thereto.

14:. A card index system comprising a plu= rality of card-holdingmembers consisting of sheets having an. upturned tongue at their loweredges, and flaps along their side edges, havingbottom ed es extendingparallel to and spaced a predetermined distance above said lower edge,said tongue and flaps being folded on opposite sides of said sheets, andthe tongue of each member engaging within the flaps of the memberadjacent thereto.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 7th day of March,A. D., 1921,

ELMER W. DAVIS.

